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Activity
Level 1
Time: 30-50 minutes
Objective
This activity will introduce
students to the concept of watershed. It will also help them discover
how much water is on the planet and how much of it we can actually use.
Materials
- Blowup Earth Ball
- Measuring tools (1000 ml
beaker and smaller containers)
- Video The Power of Water
- Copy of student worksheet
All the Water in the World
Activity #1
Demonstration with blow-up
earth ball
- Have students stand in a
circle. Tell them to toss the globe back and forth to each other spinning
it when they throw it. Each time they catch it, have them tell where
their right index finger lands. Theteacher, or a student, should record
where each student's finger falls when they catch the earth ball on
ocean, land, lake. When everyone has caught the ball once, figure out
the percentage of time people's fingers landed on water vs. land. Is
it close to 80%?
Demonstration with milliliter
beakers
- The earth is 80% water,
but not all of that water is fresh or accessible. This demonstration
will help students visually understandwhat percentage of water is in
the oceans, icecaps and glaciers, groundwater, fresh water lakes, inland
seas and salt lakes, the atmosphere, and all rivers. After this activity
they will understand that the amount of fresh water available for use
is only a faction of the water on the planet. See accompanying student
worksheet, All the Water in the World.
(Use your back key to return).
Activity #2
Video
The National Geographic video
The Power of Water is an excellent introduction to water issues,
available from the Water Resource Educator. Length is 55 minutes. The
video is divided into 5 sections: Columbia River (10 minutes), The Great
Lakes (10 minutes), Everglades (10 minutes), Ogalalla Aquifer (10 minutes)
and the Colorado River and the Southwest (10minutes). See accompanying
video worksheet. (Use your back key to return).
People to Contact
City of Boulder Water Resource
Educator 413-7365
References
National Geographic Video
The Power of Water
National Geographic Magazine,
- Nov 93 Water Issue
- Mar 93 Ogallala Aquifer
- Apr 94 Everglades
- Feb 96 Stormwater Runoff
Project Wild Aquatic
How Wet is our Planet pp. 8-10
Science Standards
#4.3 Students know major sources
of water, its uses and importance, and its cyclic patterns of movement
through the environment.
#5 Students know ways that
science, technology, and human activity have an impact on the world and
its resources.
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